Sony Xperia Ion launched in India, Android ICS presence unclear

Sony’s Xperia Ion (initially announced way back in January) is now available for purchase in India.

Retailer Snapdeal is asking 35,999 (about $651) for the Xperia Ion, and mentions it can ship it across India in 10 business days. The retailer claims the Ion runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. However, Sony Mobile India’s official website says it comes with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich – and that makes more sense, since the Ion that’s been released in China in June is also running ICS.

Unlike the Xperia Ion available in the US (via AT&T) and Canada (via Rogers), the Indian version doesn’t have LTE connectivity. But its other features aren’t changed, including a 4.55 inch HD display, 12MP rear camera, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory, and a 1,900 mAh battery.